Clay Matthews: In Green Bay we handle contracts without grumbling

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 20, 2013, 4:55 PM EST

Reuters

Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has no reason to complain about his contract, as he’s scheduled to make $69.73 million over the next six years. But even if Matthews hadn’t worked out a new deal with the Packers this week, he says there would be no cause to complain.

Matthews said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that part of the culture the Packers have created in Green Bay is that no one grouses about their contracts, and everyone understands that if you play well, the team takes care of you. Handling things internally worked for Matthews, and that’s the way Matthews says quarterback Aaron Rodgers — who is expected to sign a new deal this offseason that will make him the highest-paid player in the league — will handle his negotiations as well.

“We like to keep everything in-house, make sure we handle our business professionally,” Matthews said, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “There is not a lot of buzz around these contract negotiations, as well as Aaron’s here in the near future. So I’m sure we will wake up one day and hopefully they will announce he is the highest-paid quarterback. In the meantime, you are not going to be hearing much grumbling from anyone.”

Matthews, who arrived in Green Bay as the Packers’ first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft, said it has been impressed upon him from Day One that the Packers want guys who will work hard on the field and carry themselves well off the field.

“I think that is one of the most important things they look at,” Matthews said. “Obviously, you need to have athletic ability and be able to help this team, but for the most part, you look at the players up and down the board, it’s very rare that you are going to find a Packer get into trouble or saying something outlandish.”

Yeah no grumbling until the player doesn’t get what he wants. It’s easy to do if you play on a team that likes to overpay it’s players. Why would a Packer complain? The only guy who didn’t get overpaid this year was Charles Woodson, yet he’s a grumbler now. Amazing how that works.

Clay Matthews was ranked the #1 outside linebacker in the NFL against the pass and the run last season by Pro Football Focus by a wide margin too. ‘But he’s so overrated and 1 dimensional. Every team runs to his side.’ People who say this obviously don’t watch Packers games.

Cue all the haters who will say something nasty about The Claymaker. You wish you had majestic locks and biceps like that…

The contract environment is just another example of Green Bay’s reign of superiority over the league. Ted Thompson – another example. The party atmosphere on game day – yet another. I can fit all my buds in my camper on game day for drinks, or whatever. And we’re less than 100 yards from the gate. It’s called “tailgaiting”, maybe you’ve heard of it. PACKERS!

Of course, it’s not just John Jolly. Remember Mark Chmura? Or Tony Mandarich? It doesn’t stop there. Remember when the Golden Boy, Paul Hornung, had to sit out an entire season under the legendary St. Vince Lombardi for gambling on the game? The Packers ought to receive plaudits for maintaining an upright culture. But when Packer Nation decides to foist its unfounded sense of righteousness on other teams, they do so in willful ignorance of their own franchise’s sordid chapters. You wanna hate on other teams for ugly off-field incidents? Fine. But don’t act like your s*^# doesn’t smell.

Considering the fact that everybody in Green Bay is a Packer rube…..who’s gonna report any wrong doings to the media??? A Packer could rob a liquor store in Green Bay (there’s many to choose from….it’s Wisconsin) and the owner would thank him for picking his store. Try playing in a major market with a real media presence and see how that “nothing but good guys” crap goes. Nobody whines more than that team…and it starts with the coach. So get off of your high horse Clay and go deep condition your hair or something.

“Clay Matthews was ranked the #1 outside linebacker in the NFL against the pass and the run last season by Pro Football Focus by a wide margin too. ‘But he’s so overrated and 1 dimensional. Every team runs to his side.’ People who say this obviously don’t watch Packers games.”

Not even close – Spencer was #1 on 3-4olb and Von Miller was ranked OLB (granted 4-3) ranked light years ahead of everyone. A score to 78.5 to 20.9

Is there a team the media slobbers over more than the Packers? Every time I see another one of these “Packer way” infomercials/articles, I want to puke. I’m not even a Vikings or Bears fan and I root for them every time they play GB.

jhein23 says:
Apr 20, 2013 5:03 PM
Clay Matthews was ranked the #1 outside linebacker in the NFL against the pass and the run last season by Pro Football Focus by a wide margin too. ‘But he’s so overrated and 1 dimensional. Every team runs to his side.’ People who say this obviously don’t watch Packers games.

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Excuse me bro but the last Packer game you and I both watched your boy got schooled by a 2nd year QB who had 9 starts under his belt. Do you remember how your Clay bear looked slow? The rest of us do.

thesteelers says:
Apr 20, 2013 5:08 PM
We have rings that matter. You don’t and never will.

Deal with your loserness.

wow – why all the hate from pitt???
Btw – “loserness”? you might want to spend a little more time reading instead of being so bitter about a contract from a player on another team in a different conference……..

“Green Bay is a hole. Nobody with a big IQ or makes 100+ would live there. What a joke.”
And yet the ‘hole’ has the most NFL titles, is a foundation of the very league you apparently follow, has produced dozens of Hall of Fame players, many of whom still live in the Green Bay area.
Without falling into the trap of arguing the specialness of Green Bay, suffice to say a person who generalizes about IQ’s shouldn’t throw stones.

With B.S. like that, now I know Matthews is on the juice. Ted Thompson’s goal is to try and keep the Packers competitive year in and year out and if a SB happens to fall in their laps like it did in 2010, that’s icing on the cake. In 2010 the Pack was not a dominating team, in fact were about an average team with a bad enough record that they backed into the playoffs and then got hot for 4 games. As soon as a disgruntled packer player’s agent rebuffs a contract offer from TT, that player is sent packing period……….no time to grumble….except they did miss a beat with Mr. Self-Proclaimed All World Jermichael Finley. Also, it’s easy to say Matthews when you “got yours”.

Clay was ranked #1 OLB in a 3/4 defense by ProFootballFocus in 12 games he played by a wide margin. So yes Von Miller much better ranking but he plays in a 4-3. Spencer only ranked #1 based on 16 games – not 12 like Clay played.

Sorry for not clarifying – let the Packers hate roll on. It’s not like they don’t have the best overall record in the NFL over the past 20 years including 2 SB championships. Most franchises would gladly take that.

It’s easy to do when you have a good front office. Seems that GB tries it’s best to be upfront with players and rewards people who opt into the non diva system. I think all teams can get behind that concept.

This is pretty much how the entire NFL is besides a few teams. No idea why this is news. Overpaid one trick pony

I do recall Josh sitton sending a pretty immature tweet to golden Tate and Rodgers saying some stuff after the game too. So this article is pretty false. Oh yeah didn’t one of those cheese heads get arrested a few years ago for a bunch of coke and jermichael Finley was pretty vocal about getting paid. Hmmmmmm

Matthews just got paid $70 million to pass that message on… to Finley and the rest of the team that either has, or will be, grumbling about their contracts and the fact that GB doesn’t have any salary cap left for big deals after #12 signs his new one.

I love how all these pathetic homers go on here and post ridiculous comments about a storied franchise like green bay. I love football and love watching and rooting for different teams weekend to weekend. Of course I have a favorite team that I will always root for over everyone, but to talk crap about the population of a city or any of the other mindless crap that has been posted is pointless. It also seems to me like steelers fans have a superiority complex. Get over yourselves already.

As a Vikings fan Im glad the “Claymaker” got paid. GB tied up a healthy contract for a above average player. The only player teams fear on GB is Arodg. He deserves to be the highest paid QB in the NFL. Besides that even GB fans know they overpaid for Clabio.

The folks who talk about the players that left in “contract disputes” apparently don’t pay attention. They are no longer with the team for just the reason Clay states. They took their mess public and the team said don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya! Finley is the exception but most of his talk comes from his sister so he will end up playing with the Bears or Vikes.

Too damn funny Matthews, you got your’s, Rodgers will get his and that will take up a huge share of the salary cap so now when players like Raji etc.are ready for a new contract they are suppose to remember what “the claymaker said”, . I got a feeling Matthews comments aren’t sitting too well with other packer players waiting to get paid.

melbatoast123 says:
Apr 20, 2013 5:44 PM
“Is there a team the media slobbers over more than the Packers? Every time I see another one of these “Packer way” infomercials/articles, I want to puke. I’m not even a Vikings or Bears fan and I root for them every time they play GB.”
——————————————-
20 years with only 2 losing seasons – ton of talent found in the draft, small market town standing it’s own against the Jerry Jones types …

Like seeing a Ma & Pa shop hold it’s own against Wal-Mart….

by the way, if you’re that bothered by “informercials” about the Packer way, then don’t bother clicking on the article – dope.

gbmickey says:
Apr 20, 2013 7:33 PM
“Appears to me all the whining is coming from jealous fans who wish they had a franchise as successful as the Packers.”
———————————-
“nah-ah! ClayGay and the FudgePackers are going down – Da’ BEARS Da’BEARS – Greg Jennings left Green BAY cauze it’s a town – Now he’s in The greatzezt city ever – Minneapolsi and he’s gonna win games and avergage 200 yards a game –
ka-durrh!?!?”

Hahaha. If only the Packers could handle losing in the playoffs without whining.

By the way, it sounds like Clay is doing a little petitioning for his special friend Aaron Rodgers there. Might Clay be going back on his word already? I’m sure he will be singing a different tune the second G.B. has trouble signing him long term.

I really don’t understand all the hate. Who among you fans wouldn’t gladly see your team dish out the exact same contract to CMIII? The only team I can think of that would take a pass on the contract would be San Francisco. ALL OTHER TEAMS 3-4 or 4-3 would take him.

What’s with all the comments about Mathews being on HGH? There’s no evidence of such. All of us wish we were Clay and had his life and money. Why the jealousy? Good for him. He’s a fine player, keeps out of trouble and represents his team and league in a responsible way. I admire him.

Why do you as s hats delete posts with absolutely no offensive content, no name calling, no tos violations, no negativity. Just comments on football

Better yet, why not delete the obvious trolling posts that you don’t touch, if you MUST delete something?

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Worth re-stating, yet again. Was deleted the last time, bet it happens again! You know, you would be better off just getting rid of comments all together. Or as some else recently pointed out, link them to some kind of method of validation so we all know who they really are. That would fix nearly all of the less than constructive negativity and name calling. I just really don’t understand why y’all delete some of the posts here that are completely football related and thought provoking but leave the most asinine, thoughtless trash posted probably by some adolescent under-achiever.

It’s great to be on top, losers always throw bombs at you! For the redskins fan, the redskins running all over the Pack?? I’m sure your little R2D2 quarterback will make sure he is still hurt for that game.